by Gary McKendrick | Nov 13, 2017 | Blog
As I walked with my eldest daughter Sophie, who is 5yrs old, I was amazed and inspired by her youthful joy and innocence with life.
A busy Saturday afternoon, we were walking to our local Sainsbury’s to get some ‘bits n bobs’ and she just merrily skipped ahead of me, weaving through the crowd but turning around and smiling every so often to make sure I was there and smiling back.
It was a moment where we were both present and connected; a beautiful memory was created.
It made me think about when we LOSE this innocence and the joy of life. When do we become so self-conscious and stop ‘skipping’ in life because we’re afraid of looking silly, of what the cynics, the critics, and the haters may say.
We’re only here for a short time, we need to learn how to skip again. Relax. Have some FUN.
We allow ourselves to get so overwhelmed with life; we get so stressed and anxious about a lot of stuff which is either our own bullshit we believe or we’re worrying about stuff that is outside of our control or hasn’t even happened yet (and probably won’t).
Worrying is like praying for something you don’t want.
I can’t recall who said that but I like it.
And instead of dealing with the negative stuff properly (ie asking for help), we just sedate ourselves through life with anything from drugs, alcohol, smoking, junk food, shopping, gambling, sex, porn, crap relationships, crap telly, video games, gossip magazines, excessive phone use, social media etc
For me, I will keep doing all I can to ensure I’m actually LIVING and enjoying being ME and enjoying the life I have CREATED. And that my own daughters are able to do the same. Keep skipping ya’ll.
So stop, relax, appreciate all the good things you have, stop focusing on the bad or what you haven’t got, and show some gratitude.
Schedule some fun in your life, NOW, don’t say “I’ll do it tomorrow” because you’re too busy.
Schedule TIME with your loved ones, be there and BE PRESENT– put the phone down, turn it off. Schedule a date night, do the school run, have lunch or coffee dates. Don’t forget your hobbies and a holiday.
And don’t forget you; YOU are your BEST ASSET. So look after yourself, eat well, hydrate, sleep well, exercise, meditate, be positive & grateful, keep learning and growing. And GIVE, help others.
Pay someone a compliment every day, even a stranger. Show your appreciation for others.
Try doing a RAOK. A random act of kindness.
And laugh. Everyday. Laugh hard until you’re crying- you’ll feel great.
Look out for me then, a 41yr old ginger bearded fella, just smiling and having a cheeky skip!
#thewifecallsmeahippy
Helen Holmes Photography, fantastic local artist
by Gary McKendrick | Nov 13, 2017 | Blog
Your daily habits and routines are absolutely critical to your success.
You need to own the day. You need to set yourself up with the foundations to have a great day.
Back in the day, I used to just roll out of bed and go through the day dealing with whatever or whoever shouted the loudest and being sucked into the dreaded emails, pointless meetings, endless phone calls and other people’s problems & agendas. But for the past few years, I’ve had a morning (and evening) routine which I keep tweaking over time to make sure it still works for me.
As far as morning routines go, you may have read ‘The Miracle Morning’ by Hal Elrod, a great book and I took a lot from it in developing my own routine. I also use the Best Self Journal. And other people, books, and training events have influenced my routine to find what works for me.
My own morning routine, I call it my FIRST THINGS FIRST.
- F = Fitness
- I = Inner Powers
- R = Reading
- S = Scribing
- T = Time
FITNESS = physical exercise every day. Gym for me (6 times per week) and even on my ‘rest day’ I’m doing body-weight exercise in the house (just some press-ups, sit-ups etc for 5-10mins). Find what works for you – running, walking, weights, rowing, whatever. Just exercise your body every day, it makes you feel good afterward. It’s a test of your commitment and discipline too.
Fitness also includes:
- Eat well (fuel your body with the right things, moderation folks, no endless junk)
- Sleep well (7hrs good for me, know how much you need to feel good/energised)
- Hydrate well (min. 2 litres of water per day)
INNER POWERS = exercise your mind every day. Meditation is the key here. It’s not hippy shit either, try it. It’s just sitting somewhere where you won’t be disturbed, being still and breathing. No Yankee Candles or burning incense required. There’s plenty Apps to help you, I started with Headspace and still use it but often just do it unguided now, it’s just sitting breathing after all but to get started, try an App.
Your inner powers are also your Beliefs, Thoughts, and Values. Here you can use the power of Affirmations and Visualisation. Speak/think positively about yourself and imagine what it is you want, see it and feel it and think how great it’ll be when you have it. Focus on what you want, not what you don’t want.
READING = Learning and Applying your new knowledge. Read every day, just a couple of pages in the morning, or listen to Audible, or a Podcast, or YouTube videos, or TedTalks. Self-education and personal development is the key to your success in life. I have a great book called The Daily Stoic which is one page a day plus I add in maybe a video or article I’ve previously saved, and when I’m in the car I always have an audiobook to listen to. Remember though – YOU MUST APPLY THE KNOWLEDGE. Pure consumption will not change anything.
SCRIBING – = Journalling and Writing. Remind yourself of your Goals, show Gratitude & Appreciation; write down at least 3 things you are grateful for, review your Wins and Lesson Learned from the previous day, get the random thoughts/ideas out your head. Do writing exercises like ‘Your Perfect Day’ – write down what it would be like – when you know this then you can work on getting it.
TIME = Plan the Day with Balance & Focus. How we use our time, how we spend it (or waste it!) determines our level of success in achieving our goals and driving change. Own your day or the day owns you. Work out your Most Important Tasks (MIT’s) – the things you need to do to take you closer to your goals. There needs to be at least 1 MIT per day (up to 3 if possible). Schedule your day to include all you need to do and want to do. Priorities are your Morning Routine (First Things First), then your MIT’s, then any other stuff like numbers, team, appointments, calls to make, emails etc. You may need to build some flexi-time for any reactive stuff. Be kind and don’t overcommit otherwise you’ll get bogged down and burnt out. Work in 90day cycles with a Goal and action plan to get it.
And remember to schedule TIME for your loved ones, for fun and for rest.
You can do it.
#thewifecallsmeahippy
by Gary McKendrick | Aug 18, 2017 | Blog
Yey, its Friday.
- Why do we love Fridays so much?
- Why do we love weekends so much?
- Why do we love to go on holiday?
- Why don’t people wash their legs in the shower?
All these questions do make me wonder what’s going on with people and their lives. Well, the shower one not so much but it’s still a valid question!
So it’s Friday and all of a sudden people come alive. I’m writing this because I heard on the local radio this morning that a recent survey carried out said that a third of people felt energised and happy with life on Friday’s. How do they feel for the other 6 days of the week then?
Are people really only ‘happy’ for 104 days of the year (that’s Friday and Saturday). People are only happy for 28% of their lives. Blimey that’s a sad state of affairs isn’t it.
If you are living your life in a zombie existence from Sunday to Thursday, dragging yourself out of bed, zero motivation, no smiles and just counting the days to a high energy Friday and Saturday, then you my friend are not actually living.
Anyone alive today is lucky, you are here, you are breathing, you are unique, you are a miracle, you have the power in your hands to do and be anything you want. The world is actually a good place, full of good people who are capable of brilliant things. You are one of these people.
Stop and think about why you only like Fridays and Saturdays. THEN do something different which makes you then like EVERY day. Do not waste your time on earth being a grumpy, moaning, negative zombie who wishes for a better life, better things or better people in it but does nothing about it.
If all you do is go out on a Friday and Saturday to actually FORGET about your life, to ESCAPE your life then this is actually a WASTE of your life. As dramatic as it may sound, you have created your own version of hell.
Find your talents, find your purpose, find your people and find your happiness. Life is for living and getting up every day glad to be alive, grateful for what you have and on a mission to always progress in life through learning and doing.
You grow or die.
So enjoy your Friday but do the work to make sure you love every day.
Get Some Focus; here to help if you need it.
by Gary McKendrick | Jul 23, 2017 | Blog
Sunday morning………
How do you feel?
Regrets; broken; damaged; embarrassed; in pain; guilt; shame?
Do you live for the weekends – just existing through Monday to Thursday, always waiting for that Friday Feeling. The weekend cometh – we can party like the Lord Mayor of Party Town.
We can forget our lives (reminder – the one YOU have created) and hit the ‘Escape’ button; hit the ejector seat just for the weekend.
So you go out and get absolutely off your tits!! Some folks go out with this mission and they always succeed; whilst others might ‘go out for a couple’ but they always end up rolling around and off their heads. That’s because subconsciously, they were always going to get steaming drunk or in a drug fueled state of ecstasy. Deep down they want to escape every time.
Then the Sunday morning reality arrives and the big comedown hits you hard.
Yes, it can be loads of fun going out socially; with our mates, having the banter, meeting new people, creating memories and stories we’ll never forget. If these are your positive consequences of your social life then that’s perfect – keep doing it.
However, if your consequences are regret, feeling broken, damaged, embarrassed, guilt and shame then things need to change. Sounds like you are using your social life as a tool to escape your real problems.
My Sunday mornings used to be painful and emotional; now I love them. Sunday’s aren’t boring, Sunday’s aren’t just the day of recovering and lying on the sofa feeling sorry for yourself and apologising to people. Or cancelling your debit card because you lost it; or claiming on your phone insurance because you lost it; or nursing physical injuries.
Sunday’s are for living; being happy with your lot; being with people you love and knowing that you are creating a life that makes you love not just Sunday’s but every day.
Get Some Focus. Help is there if you need it, you just have to ask.
by Gary McKendrick | Jul 21, 2017 | Blog
Did you know there’s over 6000 suicides in the UK every year? No, me neither. (latest published figure at 6188)
And 75% are male. With the highest number being men aged 40-44.
The most used method is hanging.
These facts are of course awful and it’s a staggering amount of people. And this obviously doesn’t include the number of attempted suicides or the number of people who self harm. Or the total number of people suffering from any mental health issues.
It saddened me this week to hear about the suicide of 41yr old Chester Bennington – Lead Singer of Linkin Park and father of 6. I was just saying this week to a friend of mine, how brilliant their latest album is (slated by their ‘elite old school’ fans of course).
41 years old – that’s my age. Blokes this age should be in the prime of their lives; the wild growing pain years are over, we’ve partied, gone nuts but now we’re wiser, more mature, secure, know who we are and what we want, surrounded by love, have kids (if you want) and doing something you love which provides a lifestyle you want.
Earlier this year, Chris Cornell ended his life (aged 52) and in 2014, Robin Williams did too (aged 63). People who are in the media are presented as being successful, loved, happy and have ‘made it’. Clearly they were in a very dark place and hiding behind a mask in public; they were also battling deep depression and using drink and drugs to cope. They have achieved lots but are clearly not happy or fulfilled.
We all have our own battles; it’s life. I’ve had mine and I’ll have more. My battles so far have included mental health issues and I got help. With this help, I also had commitment, discipline, desire and patience which resulted in leaving the dark place I was in.
I’m no expert but all I can say is – GET SOME HELP. Recognise that you are in trouble and shout out, just reach out for help. Reach out to me, friends, family or better still, seek professional help. This is a sign of strength.
by Gary McKendrick | Jul 19, 2017 | Blog
We’re all ‘busy’ aren’t we.
It’s the new stock reply to “How you doing, you okay?” – “oh yeah, busy”.
“Busy” is not a good thing to be. We all have jobs or businesses to run but we must be in control of our days and we must never forget our WHY’s.
Why are we working the hours we do, who are we doing it for? If you’re a family man (or woman) then you’re doing it to provide for your partner and your children; to give you and them a decent lifestyle. However we must not sacrifice our time with our loved ones – don’t neglect your partner or miss your kids growing up. Sometimes in peak season you may have to but don’t make it the norm.
I missed our Sophie’s Sports Day recently; at the time I believed I was needed in the office and only I could deal with a staff situation. However in hindsight, I was totally wrong, I made a mistake, it could have been dealt with by a senior colleague and waited for my input the next day. I felt bad about missing out on seeing my eldest take part in all the events; seeing the photos made me realise I had my priorities all wrong.
Family always come first. Schedule time for them; keep the appointments like you would a client and never let them down.
The Sports Day was a reminder for me not to fall into the trap of being “too busy”.
#getmorefocus
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